Politics

Mistake may mean deeper cuts in Miami

A property tax effort had spared the city additional rollbacks.

By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
Published September 21, 2007

The city of Miami could face an additional $23-million in budget cuts after top Republican lawmakers said Thursday they will seek to fix a glitch in the property tax legislation that allowed the city to avoid deeper cuts.

House Speaker Marco Rubio of West Miami and Senate president Ken Pruitt of Port St. Lucie sent a letter to city officials informing them of the proposed change, which would need approval during next month's special session on the budget.

"We are providing this notice so that you can take advance action to provide Miami taxpayers greater tax relief this year and to avoid making significant budget adjustments after your fiscal year has begun," the lawmakers wrote.

The problem, first detailed by the St. Petersburg Times, arose because Miami was classified as a "municipality of special financial concern" and did not have to make cuts beyond the rollback.

That distinction spared the city an additional 9 percent cut, or roughly $23-million.

But Miami should not have been on the list, the state now concedes.

Rubio said he was not aware Miami had slipped through and pledged to correct the mistake.

But the City Commission can still avoid making the 9 percent cut by a supermajority vote - just as many municipalities have across the state in recent weeks.

Miami's final budget hearing is next Thursday. City officials did not return phone calls Thursday afternoon.

[Last modified September 21, 2007, 00:12:57]